I thought this was a pretty solid memoir. It’s very clear that Elliot is still living through and working out some of his trauma and he never tries to make it seem otherwise. Some reviewers have referenced a disjointedness to the narrative, but I found it to be very reflective of the late in life discovery experience (queer, trans, trauma, neurodivergence, etc.) in an interesting way. The realizations don’t come to you in a clear narrative. You are busy living your life and relevant memories come up piece by piece and build to create a conviction you weren’t able to have at the time. I think there was an intimacy to experiencing Page’s story in this way and I think it strengthened the otherwise distant tone of the memoir. I enjoyed learning about Elliot’s life both as a person and as an actor and am eager to follow the future of his career as it unfolds. 

A really important, well written, and thoroughly researched middle grade novel about the AIDS crisis and the ACT UP movement. Set in 1987 New York and told from the perspective of Iris, a middle schooler whose father is dying of AIDS, this historical fiction does a great job of detailing the misconceptions that surrounded AIDS at the time and the importance of the protesters’ demands. I loved how it also allowed Iris to fully grieve and feel her anger and resentment, even towards her dad’s boyfriend, while also giving her an outlet for healing and power through activism. I also appreciated the subtle representations of Iris’ Jewish identity and think this story might be useful for exploring pandemics in a historical fiction setting. For a similar story for teen readers, I recommend Like a Love Story. 

What’s not to love about a middle grade book that explores queer identity, friends turned crushes, middle school relationships, family, and sudden superpowers? I loved that, even at a young age, Ellie pretty much knew who she was and was comfortable with her queer identity, even if she’s unsure how others will react. That’s not a dynamic that I see as much in queer middle grade (probably because most authors are writing from their experience in a different generation) and I think it’s one that gen z and alpha kids will increasingly relate to. Obviously we still need both types of books, but I couldn’t help feeling so happy for Ellie and the queer kids who will relate to her. My only downside is that the superhero stuff felt less strong and slightly underdeveloped, which I think makes sense since this is the author’s first work in the SFF realm I think. Looking forward to more middle grade from Leah Johnson!

Like if Jesmyn Ward and Leah Johnson had a book baby. That good.